1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a biometrics authentication method and biometrics authentication system which detect characteristics of a body and perform individual authentication, and in particular relates to a biometrics authentication method for biometrics authentication, with biometrics functions installed in a mobile communication device, and to a biometrics authentication system which uses a mobile communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to advances in information processing technology in recent years, various illicit transactions using electronic data have become prominent. In particular, as the use of cards together with passwords for individual authentication have become commonplace, the relation between card data and passwords has become widely known, and illicit acquisition of card data and passwords has become prominent, resulting in substantial harm.
Various biometrics technologies utilizing features of the human body have been proposed as methods to resolve problems with such methods using passwords. For example, methods utilizing the fingerprints, retinal images, facial features, blood vessel images (of the palm and fingers), and other features of the body have been proposed. In such biometrics technologies, biometrics data for the individual is registered in advance on an individual card. In order to perform a transaction employing biometrics, a biometrics information reader which acquires biometrics information, provided in the transaction apparatus, is used to acquire biometrics information for the individual. And the acquired biometrics information is compared with registered biometrics data on the individual card; the result of the comparison is used to enable a transaction (see for example Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-067523).
With the spread of portable telephones and other portable terminals in recent years, various individual authentication services based on biometrics which utilize portable terminals have been studied. However, in the technology of the prior art a user must submit an application to have a portable terminal with biometrics functions issued; and various procedures, requiring time, must be performed by the issuer to confirm the identity of the user, register biometrics information for the user, and issue a portable terminal. Further, it is troublesome for both the user and for the issuer to issue a portable terminal having biometrics functions at a service area or similar.
That is, in order to realize an individual authentication service based on biometrics and utilizing portable terminals, time and effort are required of both the user and the issuer, and moreover the issuer bears the burden of issuing a portable terminal with biometrics functions in order not to impose a cost burden on the user; this cost aspect has also been an impediment to widespread use.
Thus although biometrics technology is an extremely effective means of preventing illicit transactions, the process of issuing portable terminals with security functions is complex and incurs costs, which have impeded widespread adoption.